Wrench for inserting or removing pipe union nipples



vJuly 5, 1960 G. ERASE 2,943,522

WRENCH FOR INSERTING OR REMOVING PIPE UNION NIPPLES Filed Aug. 24., 1959 F.. 3 i '-Xf xNvENToR. GeolzSSe rase BY MWL United Statwes Patent O M ce 2,943,522 wnENeH 'Fon flNsER'rINc on lREMDVING APIPE VUNION N-rPPL-Es George Brase, San Franciscm Calif., assignmof twenty ,percent toAli'ce F. Jones, San Francisco, Calif.

The present invention relates to plumbers tools, and particularly to one for manipulating-ie. for 'installing or removing-the male nipple of a pipe union. nipple is the part of the union having the rounded machine-inished nose thereon, and it is ditlicult to mount or remove such nipple from the tapped member intended to receive it, such-for instance-'as a steam-heating radiator; the other part of `the union fbeing incorporated in this case 'in the `steam-control vlve'for the radiator. Attempts have been made to simplifysuch manipulation by providing the 'nipple with internal lugs adapted for tool engagement, but these lugs tend to'choke the ow through the nipple, and-being necessarily small-frequently snap off when nipple-turning pressure is applied thereto.

The principalobject of this invention is to eliminate the need of such lugs by the provision of a wrench by means of which the union nipple may be engaged and turned in either directionso as to screw or unscrew the nipple relative to the member tapped to receive the nipple-without danger of marring the finish on the rounded nose of said nipple, in a quick rand easy manner.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a pipe union nipple wrench which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a practical and reliable pipe union nipple wrench, and one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which is it designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved wrench with the two members thereof separated, and one member broken out at one end and in section.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a union nipple and nut as installed in a radiator, and engaged by one member of the wrench; the latter and the nut being in section.

Fig. 3 is a similar view, but showing the complete wrench as applied to the nipple for the purpose of installing or removing the same from the radiator body.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, the union nipple 1, for which my improved wrench is designed, includes a pipe-threaded portion 2 on one end adapted to be screwed into a tapped hole in a radiator 3 or the like, and a rounded or tapering machined nose 4 on the other or outer end, with an enlarged annular ange 5 at the base of the nose. The nipple includes the usual machinethreaded nut 6 turnably embracing the same in overhanging relation to the nose 4, and having a flange 7 behind yand engaging the ange 5. The nut cannot therefore be removed from the nipple as long as the latter is mounted inthe radiator 3.

The wrench to engage such nipple 1 comprises a'pair of separate but cooperating members, indicated generallI at 8 and 9. Member 8 is a tubular body which at one Such 2,943,522 Patented July 5 1960 end is right-'hand threaded for a certain length, as at 10, for threaded engagement with the nut 6, as shown in Fig. 2. Back of the threaded portion said ymember is formed as a rectangular or hexagonal head 11 4for conventional wrench engagement.

\Internally, at its threaded end, member 8 is formed with a circumferential seat 12 to tit over the nose, while leaving the outer end portion of the same exposed, as shown in Fig. 2. The inner end of the seat merges into a straight bore 13 which extends fora short distance 'and `is followed by left-hand machine threads 14 which 'extend `to the op posite end ofthe member 8; the diameter ofthe threads 14 at their tips being no less than that of the bore 13, as shown.

Member 9 is a substantially solid body which at one end is formed as a smooth neck 15 of a size to t within bore 13 of member 8. lThe outer end of the 'neck is provided with a seat 16 curved to engage'the nipple nose 4 back from the portion 'thereof engagedby seat 12, as shown in Fig. 3.

The end of member 9 opposite the neck 15 is formed as a rectangular or hexagonal head 17, preferably the same size as head 11 of member 8, and between such head 17 and the neck 15 said member 9 is formed with left-hand machine threads 18 to engage the tapped threads 14 of member 8.

In operation, to mount the nipple 1 in'radiator 3, member 8 is engaged with said nipple so that the nose 4 of the .nipple enters the member 8 and engages vthe seat 12. The nut 6 is then advanced and its threads engaged with threads 10 of member 8, so that the nut and member 8 are both held in tight clamping relationship with the ange S and nose 4, respectively, of the nipple 1, as shown in Fig. 2.

Member 9 is then advanced into member 8, upon lefthand turning of `said member 9, until seat 16 thereof tightly engages the outer end portion of the nose 4, as shown in Fig. 3. To mount the nipple in the radiator 3 an ordinary wrench is then applied to head 11 to turn said member 8 and the nipple onto radiator 3. With such rotation, any tendency of member 8 to slip and turn on the nose 4 is counteracted and prevented by the tendency of the member 9 to rotate in the opposite direction--due to the left-hand threading thereofand thus cause the seat 16 to more tightly clamp onto the nose 4.

To remove the nipple from the radiator 3 an ordinary wrench is applied to the head 17 of member 9 to turn the same in a left-hand or anti-clockwise direction. Such turning of course tends to further advance the member 9 into member 8 to cause the seart 16 to more tightly grip the nose 4` Whenthe nipple is mounted or removed, it is only necessary to loosen member 9 and unscrew the nut 5.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as will substantially fulll the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as delined by the `appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

1. A wrench for inserting and removing a male pipeunion nipple having a sloping-sided nose, an enlarged ange at the base of the nose, and a nut overhanging the nose and having an inturned ange at its back end to engage the nose ilange and limit advance of the nut; the wrench comprising a tubular open-ended member end beingtapped' `with threads cutin the direction'oppositethose on the outside, said member backv of said outside threads being adapted for other wrench engageme'nt, and another member.. having av body externally threaded intermediate its ends to engage the tapped 1 threads on the one member,l one end of said other memvber being adapted for other`wrench engagement -and the other end being arranged for engagement with the end of the nipple nose.

2. A wrench for inserting and removing a male pipelunion nipple having a sloping-sided nose, an enlarged angc at the base of the, nose, and a nut overhanging the nose and having Ian inturned flange atits back end to engage the nose ange and limit advance of the nut; the wrenchcomprising a tubular open-ended member threaded on the outside at one end for engagement by the nut and provided at said end with an internal seat shaped to match and t on the nose While leaving the other end portion thereof exposed beyond the seat, said member at the other end being tapped with threads cut in the opposite direction to those on the outside, said member beyond the external threads being adapted for other wrench engagement; another member comprising a body externally threaded intermediate its ends to engage the tapped threads in said one member, the outer end of the body being adapted for other wrench engagement, .and a neck on the `inner end of thejvbody of a size to project through said one member to the seat thereof and having a circumferential seat in the end of the neck arranged to fit and engage over said exposed portion of the nose.

3. A wrench for inserting and removing a male pipeunion nipple having a sloping-sided nose, an enlarged ange at the base of the nose, and a nut overhanging the nose and having an inturned flange at its back end to engage the nose ange and limit advance of the nut; the wrench comprising va member adapted on the outside for other wrench engagement and having means for engagement with the nut and with the nose on the outside to clamp the two together,v and another member cooperating with the rst member in clamping relation therewith and with the nose of the nipple, and adapted on the outside for other wrench engagement; the rst named wrench beingv arranged so that the nipple will be rotated with the rst named wrench as a unit in one direction upon other wrench engagement and rotation of one member, and so that the nipple will be rotated with the first named wrench as a unit in the opposite direcn tion upon other wrench engagement and rotation of the other member.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,566,691 Perry Dec. 22, l1925 2,775,153 Parhanilmi Dec. 25, 1956 t 2,906,152 Brase Sept. 29, 1959 'FOREIGN PATENTS 18,142 Great Britain of 1890 150,473 Great Britain Sept. 9, 1920 346,351 France Nov. 23, 1904 1,045,927 Germany Dec. 4, 1958 

